Messages From Mom
by Nixxx852
Summary: Even though she knew she couldn't physically be there for Kurt, Mrs. Hummel made sure that she would be able to give Kurt the advice and encouraging words he needs, when he needs it.
1. Chapter 1

_Fill for a prompt on the glee angst meme. Basically, 'My Life', glee style. Mama Hummel made videos for every occasion could would need her._

-.-.-.-

When the doctors told her that she only had a few months left, the only thing that Mrs. Hummel could think of was her son. Kurt, her beautiful baby boy, was only seven years old; that is way too young to be without a mother. She was sure that Burt would take great care of Kurt after she was gone, but that isn't the same as having a mother. And, she was sure that there were going to times where Kurt needed a mom more than he needed a dad. Kurt may only be seven, but she already knew that her little boy was different. Elizabeth just knew that Kurt would have a hard time growing up, especially here in Lima, Ohio. And she just knew that Kurt wouldn't be comfortable going to Burt for help; her little boy was always closer to her.

It was when she finished singing Kurt to sleep and was watching as his chest rose and fell with each breath that she made her choice. She may not be physically there for him, but she was going to do all she could to make sure that she would be able to give him the advice and encouraging words he needs, when he needs it. So, whenever Kurt was at school, she would set up the camera and sit in front of it. She went through every possible scenario and filmed for countless hours, but she made sure that she had something for every possible thing her son would need her for.

-.-.-.-

Burt Hummel stood up from his arm chair and made his way out of the living room. The house seemed bigger without Elizabeth, emptier. When they buried her body today, he felt like a part of him had been buried with her. Losing her had been one of the hardest things he's ever gone through, but he knew he had to stay strong for Kurt. Kurt, who was only eight years old and was now without a mother.

He paused when he reached Kurt's room. He had sent the boy to bed over an hour ago, but it seems like he still hadn't fallen asleep. He heard soft whimpers coming from the room and felt his heart break just a little more. He wanted to go in there and comfort his son, but he didn't quite know how to. Elizabeth had always been the one who took care of Kurt whenever he was upset because Burt was never good at this feelings stuff.

'Of course!' Burt found himself thinking. Elizabeth had left a box, multiple boxes, actually, for Kurt. He turned on his heel and hurried to his room. He took out the first box he saw and opened it. It was filled with numerous cases, each with a plain white label with his wife's neat scrawl on it. He read through the labels on the cases and tried to find the right one.

"Hah!" Burt let out a happy exclamation when he found the right one. He was glad that it was in the first box he found and not in the other ones, because he wasn't sure he had the patience to look through all of them. He took the disc, and another one he saw that he thought he might need, and hurried to Kurt's room.

"Kurt?" Burt whispered as he pushed open the door to his son's room. The sobs he heard earlier came to an abrupt stop. "Hey, buddy, are you still up?"

"Y-yeah," He heard a shakey voice respond. Kurt sat up and even in the darkness, Burt could see him wiping at his face.

"Why don't you come with me to the living room, kiddo? I got something I think you might want to see." Burt held the door open wider and waited for Kurt to come out. When the young boy stepped out into the light of the hallway, Burt could see that his face was red and still stained with tears. He was sniffling quietly and chewing on his lower lip; it was something Burt knew his son always did when he was feeling anxious.

"Come on, buddy," Burt reached down and took Kurt's tiny hand in his. He led the boy to the living room and seated him on the couch. "I'm going to stick this disc into the player than make you a glass of milk, alright?"

Burt stuck the disc into the player, pressed play, and made his way to the kitchen. The disc had been labeled 'when you find yourself missing me too much'. He wasnt' sure what his wife put on the disc, but he thought he seemed like the right choice.

"Hey, sweetie," Elizabeth's voice drifted from the living room and into the kitchen. Burt felt tears stinging his eyes and made himself busy by making warm milk for Kurt.

Once the milk was ready, he put it into a cup and made his way back to the living room. He stopped right behind the couch. Kurt hadn't noticed him because his eyes were glued to the television screen. A few tears leaked out of Burt's eyes as he watched his wife speak to their son.

"I'm really sorry, Kurt." Elizabeth offered a small, sad smile. "I never wanted to leave you. I know that you must be real upset right now, and you have every right to be. But, please try not to stay upset for too long because I've always hated seeing you upset. Just know that no matter where you are and what you're doing, I'll always be watching over you.

"I'm sorry I won't be there to watch you grow up, but just know that I love you so much, Kurt. I have loved you since the first time I held you in my arms and I will love you until the end of time. I want you to make sure that you always remember that, sweetie. I love you."

Burt wiped at the tears that slid down his cheek and took a calming breath. He put a smile on his face and went to sit down on the couch. He saw the tears streaming down Kurt's face and set the cup of milk on the coffee table. He reached out and took Kurt into his arms and held him close.

"I miss mommy," Kurt mumbled into his shoulder. Burt squeezed him tighter and didn't try to stop the tears that were leaking out of his eyes.

"I miss her, too," Burt whispered into his son's hair. He stayed in that position for a while, just holding his son close to him. Once he got his tears under control, he pulled away from Kurt. He wiped away some of Kurt's tears then reached for the glass of milk. He handed the cup to Kurt and decided to play the next disc. It had been called 'when you're having a hard time falling asleep'.

Once the disc was in, he pressed play then settled himself back next to Kurt. He held Kurt close and watched his wife sing lullabies to their little boy. Kurt fell asleep after the second song, but Burt continued watching. He looked down at the tiny boy in his arms and felt gratefulf or all the videos that his wife left. Elizabeth had always been smart and always thought ahead; this was no exception. Long after the disc ended, he carried his son to his room and tucked him in. Burt kissed him goodnight and made a mental note to give Kurt the box of DVDs in the morning.

-.-.-.-

_When I decided to fill this, I actually planned for a rather long one-shot filled with all the different videos, but as I wrote this, all these new ideas came to me. I can just picture a video that applies to quite a few events that took place throughout the series, so I've decided to make this a little short mulitchap...depending on the kind of response I get._

_Soooo, let me know what you think :) _


	2. Chapter 2

_Uhm.. __**wow**__, you guys. I wasn't so sure I introduced the chapter properly enough to get people really interested, but the response I got was just great. Thanks so much, everyone._

_This fic was written as a fill for a prompt on the glee angst meme. The prompt was made by __**valkyrie-alex**__, so that's who you can all thank for this amazing story idea._

-.-.-.-

A young Kurt Hummel woke up on Thanksgiving morning to the sound of a loud crash coming from his kitchen. He heard muffled exclamations from his dad and felt a wave of sadness crash over him. Thanksgiving had always been a big deal for his mom; most holidays were. This was going to be his first Thanksgiving without her and he wasn't sure if his dad even _knew_ how to cook the turkey. Their meals since his mom's death had mostly consisted of take-out and fast food.

Kurt dragged himself out of bed and changed out of his pajamas. Every Thanksgiving since he was three, he had been in the kitchen helping out anyway he could. His mommy may not be the one who is doing the cooking right now, but maybe he could still help somehow. His mommy did teach him a few things, like how to mix the stuffing. And, from the sounds coming from the kitchen, it sounded like his dad needed all the help he could get.

"Daddy?" Kurt stood at the doorway to the kitchen and peered inside. His dad stood in the middle of the kitchen, staring at a frozen turkey on the kitchen counter. He didn't look too sure of what he was supposed to do with it. There were pots on the stove and different food items all over the kitchen. He also saw what looked like flour on the floor and an empty bowl with a large crack in it sitting by the sink. That was probably from the crash he heard earlier.

"Oh, hey, kiddo," Burt gave him a small smile. "You're up pretty early. Why don't you go watch some cartoons in the living room while I work in here?"

Kurt bit his lip nervously, and then, in a timid voice, said "I usually help mommy make food for Thanksgiving."

A strange expression Kurt has never seen before passed over his dad's face before he smiled softly and held his hand out. "Well, then, why don't you come in here and help out your old man, huh? But, after we get some food in you. How does a bowl of cereal sound?"

"Okay," Kurt nodded and made his way into the room, careful not to step on the flour all over the flood. He took a seat at the only empty spot on the counter and watched his dad place a bowl in front of him and fill it with cereal and milk.

"So, what do you usually help mom with?" Burt took a broom and started sweeping up the spilled flour so it didn't make a bigger mess while he walked through the kitchen.

"I helped make stuffing," Kurt said after swallowing his spoonful of cereal.

"Stuffing! We could start with that. Do you remember what mom puts in the stuffing."

Kurt put his spoon down and thought about it. "Mommy makes me cut up the bread and mix the eggs. But, I...I don't know what else goes in it."

Kurt's bottom lip started to tremble and he felt tears welling up in his eyes. Burt seemed to notice because he hurried to Kurt's side and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, buddy. I'm sure your Ma left some kind of cook book or something with her recipes in it around here somewhere. I just have to find it."

At the mention of recipes, an idea came to Kurt. He hopped off of his chair and put his empty bowl into the sink and hurried out of the kitchen. His dad had been too busy searching through drawers to notice him leaving. Kurt hurried back to his room and knelt down beside his bed. He lifted up his covers and peered under the bed. There were a bunch of boxes under there; it was the videos his mom had made for him. His dad had given him the boxes after he watched the first one and spent a lot of time watching some of them.

Each was labeled with a certain occasion and Kurt decided to wait until those occasions to watch the tape, even though he was tempted to just watch ever single one so he could see his mommy again. He pulled out one of the boxes and scanned the labels. He had remembered seeing a certain label when he was looking through the boxes after his dad gave them to him. He found what he was looking for in the third box he searched through. It was a case labeled _'For the Holidays'_. The case was filled with four DVDs labeled _Christmas_, _Thanksgiving_, _Birthdays_, _Other Special Occasions_.

He was just about to leave his room when he stopped and went back inside. He went over to his desk where the portable DVD player was. His dad had decided to buy one because Kurt usually went to sleep watching the DVD of his mom singing lullabies. He would usually go down to the living room late at night when he couldn't sleep to watch the disc. After Burt had caught him for the tenth time, he decided to buy a DVD player for Kurt so he didn't have to leave his room late at night.

He held the DVD case and the player tightly against his chest and made his way to the kitchen. His dad was still going through the drawers when Kurt got back. "Dad?"

"Yeah, Kurt?"

"Mom made a DVD called 'for the holidays'. I thought maybe that could help."

"You know, it just might." Burt took the case and player from his son and set it up on the table. He placed the 'Thanksgiving' disc in and pressed play. The video began in their kitchen, which was new because the past videos he watched were usually set in the living room.

Elizabeth Hummel walked into the screen with her apron on, and both father and son knew that it was the right disc.

_"Hello, sweetheart,"_ Kurt couldn't help but smile at the sight of his mom in the DVD player screen. _"I know you love to help whenever I cook for special occasions so I'm sure you'd try and help dad. I know daddy isn't that great in the kitchen, so I made this to try and help you guys out."_

"Great job, buddy," Burt patted Kurt on the shoulder and set up the kitchen the way his wife was instructing him to do on the video. Kurt went to the refridgerator to pull out the ingredients that his mom was starting to list.

The entire video was filled with step by step instructions on how to make each meal they would have for their dinner. Kurt and his dad listened carefully and imitated everything she did on the video. Things were going well and Kurt was actually having fun. It was almost as if his mommy was really there, showing him how to cook the food like she always did.

_"And now, it's time to make the stuffing. This particular dish was always Kurt's specialty."_ Elizabeth grinned up at the camera and winked. Kurt went to cut up the bread into cubes while his dad put a skillet on the stove and melted some butter.

_ "Now, while Kurt beats the eggs, chop up some parsley."_ Burt did as she instructed with the occasional glance at Kurt, to make sure that he was doing alright. Kurt added the bread to the bowl and took the parsley from his dad and mixed that in without being told. He remembered this part well enough.

Once the dishes were all ready and the turkey was finishing up in the oven, Kurt went to the living room to watch some TV with his dad. Kurt wasn't really into the game that his dad was watching, but he watched it anyway. It was thirty minutes into the game when Kurt realized that something was off. There was a weird smell in the air.

"Oh, sh-!" Burt jumped off of the couch and hurried into the kitchen. Kurt followed behind in a much slower pace. When he got to the kitchen, he saw his dad pulling the turkey out of the oven; it was darker than it should be. Burt took a knife and cut into the turkey.

"Well, the outside's a little burnt, but the inside still looks good." Burt announced. "Why don't you grab some plates and we can get started?"

Kurt took a bite out of his food and chewed it slowly. It was burnt, but just like his dad said, the inside was okay. It tasted almost like how his mom used to cook it. He swallowed his food and blinked his eyes rapidly because he could feel the tears starting to build up. He busied himself with eating so his dad didn't notice.

He missed his mom so much. There hasn't been a single day in the month since the funeral that he hadn't thought of her. Every time he came home from school, and especially when he had a rough day, he wished that she was there to take him into her arms and ask how his day had gone before he fixed them an afternoon snack. Every night, when he got ready for bed, he found himself waiting, hoping that she would come in and tuck him in before singing him a song.

This dinner just made him miss her more. Thanksgiving dinner was always a big family thing and he always spent the entire day with his mom. They would cook in the kitchen together all morning, they'd eat together as a family, then while he dad enjoyed a few games on TV, she would play games with him or teach him a few songs on the piano. He knew that things were never going to be the same again, even if his dad was able to make all the meals taste like hers. But, if he just closed his eyes, just for this dinner, he could _almost_ make believe that everything was okay, and his mommy was still there with him.

-.-.-.-

"Goodbye," Kurt waved as the last of the guests left the house. Once they were all gone, he went back inside.

"Did you have a good party, kiddo?" His dad asked from where he was seated in front of the TV.

"Yeah, it was fun." Kurt answered, though he didn't really mean it.

"Looks like you're beat," Burt chuckled. "Why don't you head to your room and get ready for bed? Leave the cleaning up to me."

"Okay, good night dad,"

"Night, Kurt."

Kurt walked into his room and turned on the lights. Once he was changed into his pajamas, he went to his DVD player and brought it with him to his bed. There had been a DVD he wanted to watch as soon as he woke up that was labeled '_On your Birthdays'_, but he decided to put it off until he was alone. He settled down on his bed, laying down on his stomach with the player in front of him, and pressed play.

_"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you," _His mom sang as soon as the disc began to play.

_"I'm sorry that I can't be there for your birthday, baby."_ A sad smile. _"But just know that I'm watching over you, especially on your special day. You are a very special little boy, Kurt, and I know that you are going to grow up into a wonderful young man. And, I'll be looking over you each step of the way._

_ "Now, I want nothing but smiles from you on this day, young man." _Kurt couldn't help but giggle at the stern voice and look on his mom's face. _"You deserve nothing but happiness on this day, _your_ day. This is a very special day because it was the day that you came into this world. No tears or frowns or bad thoughts, okay? I want nothing but smiles and laughter. And remember, I can see if you're doing as I say._

_ "Happy birthday, Kurt. I love you forever and always, my son."_

Kurt stopped the video there. There had been more to it, but they were for later, more specific birthdays. And, as much as he wanted to watch them just so he could continue listening to his mom's voice, he didn't. He wanted to save them for the day they were intended, so he would have a special message from his mommy to look forward to. Kurt replaced the birthday disc with the one of his mom singing. He loved each message from he's mom that's he's watched, but his favorite will always be the one filled with lullabies, just for him. His mommy's singing had always been his favorite thing in the world.

As he listened to the song, he found himself missing his mom more than ever. Today had been a great day; his dad had done a wonderful job on his party. He got to see his relatives and his friends from school came. The day had been great; the only thing that would have made it better were if his mom were there. Kurt felt the tears build up in his eyes, but he forced them to go away. He wanted to cry because he missed his mom so much, but he wasn't going to do it. His mommy did say he wasn't allowed to be sad on his birthday, after all.

-.-.-.-

_Well, this chapter was only supposed to be the Thanksgiving video because that ended up way longer than I expected (don't you just hate it when you start writing a few paragraphs, but your fingers seem to get a life of their own, and the next thing you know, you have pages worth of stuff?). But, it still felt a little short so I added the birthday one. _

_The next few chapters are probably going to be longer and feature three or so videos, depending on how long the scenes become and on the scenarios and stuff I come up with. I'm still working out how many videos I want to put in this story._

_So, if there any particular videos you want to see done, feel free to let me know. I'll see if I can write them out. Currently, I have 'when dad loves again', 'when you get your heart broken' and 'when you fall in love' planned out. But, I want to have them in some chronological order so it doesn't get confusing to have teen Kurt, followed by adult Kurt, and then little Kurt._

_Thanks again for all the reviews/alerts/favorites. You guys are just great. Keep the reviews coming, I'd love to hear what you have to say. And, they're real motivators._


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for all the reviews guys! You guys are great!_

-.-.-.-

Ten-year-old Kurt Hummel sat by his living room window and stared out into the street. Because school had ended for the summer, there were a lot of kids outside playing games. Kurt wanted to go out and play with them, but he knew he wouldn't be welcome. He never had very many friends growing up because he didn't always like playing the games the other kids played. But, it got worse as he got older. A lot of the boys in his class started making fun of him and calling him girly and it made a lot of his friends stop playing with him.

Kurt sighed and left the window. It was no use spending his time watching the other kids have fun. He went to his room and decided to be productive and tidy up. He started by rearranging his bookshelf, then cleaned out his backpack. After about an hour of moving things and putting stuff away, he ran out of things to do. He was about to go lay down on his bed but stopped before he reached it. He bent down and pulled out the boxes underneath his bed.

The boxes had gotten worn out and torn after all the times he dragged them out from under the bed. He looked around the room for somewhere he could put the DVDs, but he couldn't find any; his shelves were filled mostly with books, and what little space that was there wouldn't be enough to fit all the cases in the boxes. He stood up from the floor and left his room. He knew that his dad had a tendency to keep all the boxes from shoes and other things they bought in their hall closet. Once he selected the biggest boxes, he returned to his room and began transferring the DVDs. While he was moving the cases to the new boxes, one particular label caught his eye. It read "_When You Have Nothing To Do_".

Kurt set the case aside and finished transferring the rest of the DVDs. Once everything was put away and he put the old boxes into the trash, he went back to the disc he set aside. He had no idea what his mom could have put in it, but, he really _did_ have nothing to do, so he had nothing to lose by watching it. He stuck the disc into his DVD player and got settled on his bed. His mom appeared on the screen. She was sitting on the piano; the piano in their living room that hadn't been touched since her death.

_"Hey, baby,"_ Kurt knew that he was really too old to be called 'baby' by his mom, but he liked the nickname. Hearing his mom call him that in the videos always made his smile.

_"I've always wanted to teach you how to play,"_ his mom turned away from the camera and started playing around with the keys. _"I never really had the time to, though. I don't know if you'll be interested in playing, but you always loved to watch whenever I played. So, if you don't have anything to do, maybe you'd like to learn a few things."_

Kurt listened intently as she began to explain the difference between the black keys and the white keys. From there, she moved on to the notes. It was a lot to take in, but Kurt was interested and he really did have nothing else to do; his mom named the disc well. Halfway through the lesson on notes, Kurt realized that he would learn better if he was at the piano itself. So, he paused the video and brought the player with him to the living room. He set it down on the piano bench next to him and pressed play. He touched each key that his mom did and tried to memorize which one made what sound.

_"Now, how about we try a little song?"_ his mom disappeared from the screen and Kurt could see her picking up the camera and bringing it closer to the piano. Her hand appeared and showed Kurt which keys he had to press. _"This is a really simple song; it's really easy to learn so it's great for your first try at a song. I'm sure you'll recognize it right away."_

After three keys, Kurt recognized the song; it was twinkle twinkle little star. He chuckled and pressed the keys she had shown him. It was a little akward at first because he wasn't sure how fast to press the keys, but he figured it out on his second try.

_"I may not be there to hear you playing it, but I know you're doing a good job. You were always a quick learner." _A feeling of pride went through him at the praise and smile his mom gave the camera. _"Why don't we try something a little harder, huh?"_

She taught him a few more songs. They were all children's songs that he wasn't really interested in playing, but his mom said that it was better with those songs because he knew what they were supposed to sound like and it made it easier for him to reproduce the sounds on the piano.

_"I have a book filled with sheet music in the shelf with even more songs. Those are a lot harder because I can't properly teach you to read notes this way. But, if you're interested, you could probably ask your daddy to sign you up for lessons. If you do take those lessons, the disc after this is filled with me playing a few more songs. It's not the same, but we could still play a few songs together."_

When his dad came home from work that night, the first thing Kurt did was ask for piano lessons.

-.-.-.-

Kurt came home from school in tears. It was a good thing that his dad was still in the shop because he would have to explain himself. He ran to his room and threw himself onto his bed and cried into his pillow. He knew that he shouldn't have been acting this way, he shouldn't be crying like this and letting their words get to him, but he couldn't help it.

_Fag_. The word still echoed in his mind. Kurt had been picked on a lot at school, so he had learned not to let it get to him. But, the insults weren't so bad in elementary; they called him a girl and made fun of the way he acted and talked. After a few taunts, Kurt had learned to not let it get to him. But things were different in middle school. The kids were bigger, meaner, and the insults were worse. Today had been the first time that he was called _that word_.

He knew it was just a stupid word, but hearing it had hurt _so much_. He couldn't place why it hurt. Maybe it was the hatred that he could hear in the older kid's voice when he said it, maybe it was the look of disgust he saw shining in the boy's eyes, or maybe it was the sneers and looks everyone in the hall gave him when they heard; Kurt wasn't sure why it hurt so much, it just did.

Kurt cried until his eyes seemed incapable of producing anymore tears. His eyes stung, his chest hurt, and his nose was stuffed up. But, he was nowhere near feeling any better. If anything, he only felt _worse_. He pushed the damp pillow away from him and sat up on his bed. He wiped at his cheeks and went to the bathroom to freshen up a little. His dad was going to be home in an hour and he rather not let him see that he had been crying.

"I wish mom were here," Kurt said to no one in particular when he returned to his room. His mom always knew what to say whenever things didn't go well at school. And then it hit him; his mom _could_ be here.

He threw himself back on his bed, and leaned over the edge so he could pull out a box underneath. The boxes have changed over the past couple of years, but the location was always the same; they were always under his bed. It wasn't that he was trying to hide them; it was just that it felt like such a safe place to put it. He sifted throught the box and found the case that he was looking for: _When You Have a Bad Day At School._

_"Oh, Kurt." _Just seeing her face made him feel a little better. _"I don't know what exactly happened today, so forgive me if I don't say the right things, son. I can only give guesses to what happened at school to make you so upset.I'm going to throw a guess and say that the other kids were what made your day so bad._

_ "Kurt, I could tell you not to let what those kids said bother you, but it obviously did bother you if you're watching this video. But, baby, don't listen to what they said or pay too much attention to what they did. Kids pick on people who are different from them because they don't know how to handle the difference. _

_ "But, I'm going to tell you now that being different is __**not**__ a bad thing; in fact, its a good thing. What makes you different is what makes you special, Kurt. You are unique and that is one of the things that I love best about you. You're not supposed to be just like the other kids because every single one of us was born different. A world where every single person was exactly the same doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it?_

_ "I don't know what they said or did exactly, but I don't want you to let it get you down. No one can make you feel bad about yourself if you don't let them. The only person who can make you feel bad about yourself is __**you**__. I don't want you to take what they did to you seriously because it's not true. You are a wonderful person, Kurt. You are smart. talented, beautiful-there are so many great things about you, and you being different from everyone else just adds to that list. You are a very special person and I love you for who you are."_

Kurt stared at the screen long after the video ended. Although the _word_ that kid at school called him still bothered him a little, he was feeling a little better. He knew that watching this video was a good idea; his mom had always known what to say. And, even though she made this long before this day, her words had still done what she intended them to do.

-.-.-.-

_Thanks again for all the reviews, guys. I loved reading every single one. _

_Also, thanks for the video suggestions. They've given me quite a few ideas. Keep them coming if you can think of any more or want to see a particular scene._

_This chapter isn't as angsty as the last one (or at least I think so), but I wanted to add Kurt learning stuff from his mom. I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I hope it was alright._

_I'm going to put Kurt as a teenager soon, because I feel like the key videos that I want to put in (and the ones that a lot of you are asking for) take place in high school. The bulk of this story follows teenage Kurt, then we're going to adult Kurt, and I already know my final video! It's going to be 'when you have children of your own'. what do you think?_

_please review :) I love hearing what you guys think._


	4. Chapter 4

_Once again, thanks for all the reviews/alerts/favorites, you guys. You have no idea how much they mean to me. _

_Note: This chapter takes place during Kurt's freshman year. The show never specified how old the characters were and what grades they were in (except for Rachel, who was a sophomore in the Pilot and Blaine, who we learned was a junior). So, I'm going to go with the assumption that Kurt was a sophomore like Rachel when he joined glee. There's going to be a reference to Finn and Puck and a brief scene mentioned in the episode, Ballad (a flashback of Kurt's if you remember). But just keep in mind that this is before Glee and New Directions, okay?_

_-.-.-.-_

Kurt stood in front of his closet and surveyed all his clothes while he tried to find the perfect outfit to wear. Tomorrow was his first day of high school and he wanted to make a good impression. He wasn't sure who he was going to impress—if middle school is worse than elementary, then high school should be even worse—but, he still wanted to look good. He had already picked out an outfit earlier today, but the more he looked at it, the more he thought it wasn't going to work out. It was probably just his nerves getting the best of him, but he didn't mind; he liked putting outfits together.

He made seven different combinations before he decided on an outfit. Once that was out of the way, he went to his backpack and reorganized his things. It was nearing midnight and he should probably be going to sleep, but he was too excited—or was it anxious?—to go to sleep. It was another thirty minutes before he seated himself on his bed and tried to relax. He laid down, pulled the covers over himself, closed his eyes and willed sleep to come, but it was evading him. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, he sat up once more.

He reached over to DVD player, that always sat on his bedside table, and brought it over to his bed. He bent over and reached for the boxes that were always under his bed. Over the years, he had sorted the videos his mom made into categories, and marked the boxes with each one so finding them wasn't too hard. He opened the box and pulled out the case marked '_When you get to high school'._ Kurt had never been too sure _when_ exactly she meant for him to read it, but he figured now was as good a time as any.

_"Hello, Kurt" _His mother's smiling face greeted him. _"You're in high school now. I can't believe how much time has passed. High school is going to be a very trying time for you, son. You're going to be faced with problems—that's just a part of high school—and some of them may be easy to solve, but there are going to be a few that will be a bit hard. I'm sorry I can't be there to help you with whatever problems you may face, but your father is there and even if he doesn't seem like the type to sit and talk, he will listen to you and help you if you need him to. All you have to do is ask._

_ "You're going to meet a lot of people in the four years that you'll be there. You may find the people who become the best friends you'll ever have, but you will also find people who you don't get along with; there may be people who go out of their way to try and make things hard for you. But, no matter what happens with those people, I want you to remember this: what those people say or think about you, it doesn't matter; all that _does_ matter is what you think about yourself._

_ "High school is filled with so many different types of people, so many different cliques. Some groups are going to think they are better than others and go out of their way to pick on people who are different from them. It may not sound too nice, but that's just how high school is. It was like that when __your father and I went to school, and I'm sure it hasn't changed or will ever change. So, don't let what the other groups say to or about you bother you too much. And, try not to be too hard to the people in other groups. I say this not because I think you're going to go out there and pick on other people, but because I know that sometimes, we just can't help it and it happens"_

His mom shrugged and gave him a sheepish grin. Kurt couldn't help but marvel at how smart his mom was. She had made this tape years ago, but he still saw how it applied to his life right now. It was amazing how she was able to predict these things. It was kind of unnerving that she sort of predicted his bullying predicament, but then again, she had always been the one who comforted him whenever he came home crying because the kids picked on him.

_"Also,"_ Elizabeth Hummel got an expression on her face that said she just remembered something. _"I know that most kids wait until junior or senior year to worry about colleges and what classes they should take and what kind of grades they should get. But, the earlier you start making plans, the less you worry as the time approaches. You've always been a bright boy, Kurt and I know that class-wise, you'll do just fine. But, try not to get too far behind. You've always been ambitious and the type to stop at nothing until you're where you want to be. So, I'm sure I don't have to worry about your grades slipping. You don't have to be a straight A student; I just want you to make sure that you always do your best. That's all that matters to me."_

_ "I love you, Kurt; always and forever. Don't ever forget that."_

"I love you, too, mom." Kurt whispered into the empty room. He put the DVD and the player away and went back under his covers; he had a big day tomorrow.

_-.-.-.-_

After school, Kurt went to his dad's shop to help out. When he turned fourteen, his dad though he was old enough to help out at the shop, and Kurt spent his entire summer working there. Although working with cars was a messy job and coveralls were unattractive, Kurt loved working there. Oddly enough, he actually liked fixing cars. There was something about it that was oddly calming. Now that he started high school, he only helped out on the weekends and after school when he didn't have anything to do.

He put his bag in his dad's office and changed into some coveralls so he wouldn't mess up his new jacket. He went out into the shop and saw a car that needed its oil changed. He told one of his dad's workers, a man named Steve, that he was going to handle it. The man, nodded and went back to the car he had originally been working on. Kurt had a smile on his face the entire time he worked. He hummed to himself and didn't even wince at the slightest when he got oil all over his hands. He was in too good of a mood to care right now.

The reason for his good mood was a tall jock named Finn. Kurt had been walking down the hall on his way to his Spanish class when a guy in a mohawk had knocked into him and pushed him into the nearby lockers. He had looked up to glare at the guy who did it, but stopped when he saw the other boy that was with him. The taller boy had stopped the guy with the mohawk looked like he was scolding him. He turned around and gave Kurt a small smile and nodded at him before walking off.

Kurt later realized that the tall boy who smiled at him was in his Spanish class. He had never noticed before because the boy—Finn, was his name—always sat in the back and Kurt never had a reason to turn around and look back there. For the remainder of the day, Kurt had kept his eye out for Finn. He knew that it was silly, because he had never spoken to Finn before, but he found himself attracted to the boy. There was just something about the boy that was very...cute.

The good mood stayed with him until he got home. His dad had asked him over dinner what all the smiling was about, but there was no way he was going to tell him about a crush he had on another _guy_. There was no way his dad could understand. After dinner, he went straight to his room and sat on his bed. He pulled his pillow to his chest and gave it a hug. He had been smiling all day and he was pretty sure his cheeks were going to be sore tomorrow. He wanted to tell someone about his crush, but didn't exactly have any friends he was close enough to tell, and there was no way he was going to tell his dad.

He found himself wishing that his mom were here; she would have loved to hear about this. And that was when he remembered. He went reached for the box he labeled _'For Certain Moments in My Life'_ and looked for the video his mom had called _'When You get your first crush'_. He let out a triumphant 'hah!' when he found it and returned to his seat on his bed. He reached for his DVD player and placed the DVD inside.

_"Your first crush! That must be exciting," _His mom's excited face just made him smile even wider. He knew that going to her would have been the best choice. _"I wish I could be there to see who the lucky person is! But, whoever it is, I'm sure they're pretty cute and a wonderful person."_

Kurt giggled with his mom. Finn _was_ cute; in a oblivious jock kind of way. And wonderful—it may not be the right word to describe Finn just yet, but that was because he didn't know him too well. But, he knew for sure that Finn _was_ a great guy. Finn was the only jock who hasn't bullied him. Sure, he was always around whenever the jocks pulled pranks on him, but it didn't look like he was into the prank. He was probably just there because his stupid jock friends made him do it. And, he _did_ scold that guy with the mohawk for bumping into him and smiled at him as an apology.

_"I remember my first crush. It was a guy who sat next to me in my history class. He had the nicest blue eyes and the cutest dimples. Oh, I must have made a big fool of myself so many times while I was trying to get him to notice me. That was one thing I learned about crushes growing up. You can't help but want to get them to notice you and are always trying to impress them"_

He stopped to think about that. Had he done that? He thought to the time that he had spent near Finn today in Spanish class. A blush crept onto his cheeks when he realized that he had. Before today, he only spoke up in class when the teacher, Mr. Shuester, called on him. Today, he had been offering answers to everything. He had hoped that Finn would notice how smart he was.

_"I'm not going to tell you not to try and get your crush's attention, because I did the same exact thing when I was a kid. But, just try to be careful, okay? Sometimes, when we like someone, our emotions get the best of us and we end up doing things we don't exactly mean to do. You may just end up getting hurt if you push too hard, baby. Just keep that in mind, okay?"_

_-.-.-.-_

_So, no angst in this chapter, again. I guess I've been in too good a mood lately. Lol. But the next chapter may be when I introduce the glee club. _

_Also, do you guys have any super sad songs you'd be willing to rec me? Sad music helps me write sadder stuff. Haha._

_Sorry if this chapter isn't what you expected. Feel free to throw in stuff you want to see. And let me know what you think :D I've love to hear what you have to say._


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